Automatic air-brake coupling.



No. 780,484." v PATBNTBD JUNE 9,1903.-

c. H. sm'rz. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING.

v nrmonmx 211.212 no. 15. 1902.

' y :10 MODEL;

E nuumn minimum I UNIV UNITED STATES Patented June 9,1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

OLINTON'H. SEITZ, SHREWSBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

AjUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE COUPEING.

SPEClFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 730,484, dated June 9,1903.

' Application filed December 15,1902; strain". 135,272; (No model) l Toall whom, it may concern; 7

Be it known that I, CLINTON H. SEITZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Shrews-j sued to me June 3, 1902, No. 701,628, to whichreference is had, especially as to the construc tion of the parts markedA and B.

The object of my improvement is to provide a guide by which a pluralityof pipes may be connected, each pipe on'one car alining perfectly withthe proper pipe car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis on the adjacent a perspectiveview of one of my couplers in position on a car. Fig. 2 is a detail planview of two couplers, the guides interlocking. Fig. 3 is a detail endview. Fig. tie a detail view showing arrangement of the guides whenaplurality of pipes are to be connected.

In carrying out my invention I employ the pipe A, connected to thetrain-pipe at its rear end, a pipe B, secured in the pipe A andprojecting outwardly from its forward end. A coupling-head G isslid'ably secured on the pipe B, and a spring D'is coiled around thepipe B and bears at one end against the forward end of the pipe A and atthe opposite end againstthe inner end of the couplinghead, tending tohold the head at the extreme outer end of the pipe B, the head normallyprojecting slightly in advance of said pipe.

Guide-prongs E E,"integral with the head, project in advance of it anddiverge, the guides being tapered toward their ends.

The guides are similar in size and shape on both connectingcoupler-heads, but are differently arranged, the guides on one headconsisting of the two short prongs E,carried on one side of the head andextendingoutwardly, and the long prong E, extending outwardly from theopposite side of the head. On the contacting coupler the position of theprongs is reversed, the long prong E being on the opposite side of thecoupler and passingbetween prongs E of the other coupler, and theseprongs will permit limited lateral movement of one coupler-head relativeto the other, will allow a certain amount of twisting motion in roundingcurves, and will also permit the pipes to be coupled up on a curve aswell as on a straight track. A rubber facing F is secured to each head,thereby insuring a tight joint. I

WVhere a plurality of pipes are to be coupled, the coupling-head iselongated, as shown at G in Fig. 4, and is provided with a plurality ofopenings one above the other, each adapted to receive the outer end of apipe similar to the pipe B, and on its one side carries the forwardlyand outwardly projecting prongs G and on its opposite side theoppositely and projecting prongs G it being understood, of

course, that the coacting coupler on the other car is reversed, thoughthe construction is the same. These couplings may be secured to the carin any-desired'inanner; but I have shown one as suspended below thecar-coupler by the chains H, attached to cars H, formed on the pipe A.

' It will be seen that by'this construction several pipes can be coupledwith one setlof couplin -heads.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim 'as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. An air-brake coupler, comprising two coupler-heads, one of said headshaving two outwardly-projecting prongs on one side, an

outwardly-projecting longer prongon the opposite side, and the coactingcoupler. having prongs adapted to passbetween the prongs of thefirst-mentioned coupler.

2. An air-brake coupler comprising two coupler-heads having adjacentdiverging prongs, and a longer forwardly-projecting prong on theopposite side 'of'the head, the

prongs on the said coupler being adapted to interlock CLINTON l-l.SEITZ.

Witnesses:

O. E. DISE, v F. W. BROWN.

